Life is Like a Song
by Animeaddict56
Summary: A collection of different one-shots based off of songs with different characters. Ratings for each chapter might be different. Completely open to suggestions or ideas.
1. Lips of an Angel

**Author's Note - Ok, so this will just be a bunch of one-shots that are based off of songs. The ratings for each chapter will change depending on the content. It's just something to do for when I have writer's block on my other story. But if you have any suggestions, just give me the song and the characters you would like it to be about, and I'll do my best.**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Harry Potter or the song Lips of an Angel.**

Lips of an Angel

Scorpius ran his hands over his face as he sat at the table of the Weasley house. His girlfriend, Rose Weasley, had just left to tell the rest of her family that he was here. He'd met them all before of course, he'd been there a few times. But he'd met them, and known them on a good basis before he was ever with Rose.

He could hear them talking now, trying to be quiet. Her father and brother weren't too sure about him. Her father because of his last name, and her brother because of his dating history. Or really, girlfriend history. He wasn't sure he'd ever gain Hugo's forgiveness, even if he really knew. Scorpius shook his head with a grim smile. No, he'd probably be killed if Hugo knew.

When he lifted his head, an owl was at the window. An owl that he was all too familiar with. He looked back at the doorway, but seeing and hearing that they were still in a bit of an argument, he got up and let it in. Instead of flying to one of them, it stayed by him, with one letter attached to his leg. The cursive written name on the front was one that made his heart beat faster. He hurried to take it off, and when he did the owl flew off, not waiting for a reply, so he shut the window, and then opened the letter.

_Dear Scorpius,_

_I really, really, a thousand times really need to see you. If you'll come, I'll be where I always am._

He sighed as he folded the letter and put it in his pocket. Every letter, she always gave him the choice to come to her, but he always did, and he knew that even though he shouldn't, he always would.

"Hey, sorry for the wait." Scorpius turned his head to see Rose coming in, her mum following.

He shrugged and smiled. "It's no problem." He pushed a bit of her brown hair from her eyes. Brown. A pretty color, but not the beautiful color he'd been dreaming about since what seemed like forever.

"How are you, Scorpius?" Hermione asked him politely.

Once again he shrugged as he sat back down at the table. "I'm good. The same as always." He looked at Rose and smiled, feeling terrible inside. She had no idea of what he did, what he does. But it was just too hard. They made polite conversation for awhile before her father and brother came in to glare at him. It was about that time that he politely excused himself, telling them that he had to visit his uncle before he went home.

Rose walked him to the door. "I'm really sorry about my dad and brother. They're just a little upset still."

Scorpius couldn't help but wonder how upset they would be if they knew. "It's ok. I understand. I'll see you tomorrow." He leaned down and kissed her shortly on the lips. She was smiling when he pulled away.

"Good night. I love you," she whispered.

Scorpius felt his guilt tighten. "Good night." He turned and started to leave, and she shut the door. She had told him that a few times before, only recently, and she had understood when he told her he just couldn't say it back yet. But inside he knew he would never say it back. Not to her.

He didn't have to walk far. Rose lived just down the street from her. When he got to the house, he went around to the back. Some lights were on, but none from downstairs. He hopped the back fence, and stared up at the tree house up in the tree. He couldn't help but smile as he climbed up to that tree house, and when he pushed back the curtain door.

She sat there, back against the wall, her knees against her chest, and her arms around her knees. Her head rested on her knees, her eyes closed. She was still as he moved to be fully inside.

Now he was on his knees. "Hey, Lily," he greeted with a small smile. When she opened her eyes and looked up at him, he saw tears shining on her cheeks and in her eyes. "What's wrong?" he whispered, moving to sit next to her, wrapping his arm around her. She buried her head into his chest, not sobbing, but small shivers shook her.

She didn't say anything for a while, but when she finally spoke her voice was thick. "Nothing. Nothing happened."

"A fight?" Scorpius whispered, knowing the real problem.

"I don't know what to do anymore," she whispered back. "I've tried, but he just constantly picks fights with me."

"Does he know about me?" he asked.

Lily scoffed and shook her head. "No, he doesn't."

"He'd lose it wouldn't he?"

"It'd be our biggest fight yet." She paused. "Does Rose know?"

Scorpius shrugged. "Honestly, I don't think she has a clue." He looked at her then, in the short silence they'd made. She had the beautiful red hair that he thought about, the pretty brown eyes from his dreams, and just the pure beauty that kept him up some nights.

He heard her give off a small sigh. "Oh, Scorpius," she whispered, barely audible. His breath almost caught at the sound of his name on her lips. His name never sounded sweeter.

He couldn't help it, and he leaned down to kiss her, and she of course, gently responded. But as they always did, their kiss got deeper, and maybe because of the lies they were leading others around with, but this kiss seemed desperate. Scorpius got rid of his jacket, his lips never leaving hers. He pulled back and laid it on the wood floor, and then they were kissing again, and he was pressing her down, laying her on the jacket, and he was hovering over her.

She instinctively reached down for the hem of his shirt. He groaned as she touched the cool skin of his back. She was always warmer than him, sending sparks through his veins. She ran her fingers across his stomach, and then rubbed his sides softly, and he gave off another groan.

His hands moved up to grab the hem of her shirt, and he slid it off with ease. She shuddered once as the air hit her exposed skin, but then he moved his lips to her neck, and his hand to remove her bra. The sigh she gave was mixed with a moan, and he felt his breath hitch shortly at the sound.

Lily moved her hand to his hair, and twirled her fingers around a few locks. He groaned into her neck. He always had loved the feel of her hands in his hair. It was relaxing, and had an immensely loving feel. Urgently it seemed, she pulled his head up and kissed him again, moaning into his mouth when he pressed his body closer onto her.

She tugged at his shirt, and he sat up to take it off, then was quickly back, his lips pressed to hers again. His kisses moved back down to her jaw, and then her neck, and she undid his belt, and unbuttoned his pants and sliding down the zipper. He groaned when she did, the zipper pressing against him. He brought in a gulp of air, and hurried to remove his jeans completely, kicking them to the floor.

Scorpius's hand quickly undid the button and zipper of her jeans, and he slid them down, and slid his hands along her skin as he moved to the waistband of her underwear. He pulled at the hem, and snapped them, making her gasp. She looked at him and nodded, so he slid them off, and brushed his hands along her skin and back to her hips. Her gasp turned into a moan.

"Scorpius," she gasped softly.

He groaned against her neck, biting and sucking at her pulse point. "What?" he whispered quietly, his lips moving to her earlobe, nipping at it gently.

"Lose 'em," she replied boldly back. He nodded, still kissing around her earlobe as he grabbed the waistline of his boxers, and slid them down, dropping them somewhere on the ground with the rest of the clothes.

"Do you love me?" he whispered, their hot breaths mingling in the air between them, his own voice sounding rough and hot.

"Of course," she gasped out, her fingers massaging through his hair. "You know I do."

He did know, he always knew. He could barely remember why they'd ended, but knew that they were never really done.

"Good," he rasped out. And then he was in her, and he felt right. Like he had been gone, and was finally home again. He was where he should be, with the one he should be with.

She moaned softly in his ear, so he pulled back, and thrust in again, enjoying the small sounds she made, and the pure feeling of her. Her fingers dug into his back as his pace became faster with more force. She pulled his head down and kissed him. He groaned into the kiss. No matter how many times it happened, he'd never get used to the feeling of being in her. Nothing described it correctly to him.

His thrusts became slightly erratic as he reached his peak, but through the heat and pressure of her own end coming fast, she didn't notice. She kept a tight hold on his shoulders, and her legs that had wrapped around him also tightened. Then she was released, and tightening around him, pulling his own release from him. He groaned, and reveled in the small scream the pulled from her lips.

They laid there, panting, waiting to regain their breaths. He kept his head in her neck, nuzzling every so often. Eventually, he moved, propping himself up so that he could look at her. Her hair was spread around her in a red halo, her cheeks were still a little flushed, her lips swollen as she brought in deep breaths. She was still absolutely beautiful.

She reached a hand up and stroked his sweat soaked hair. "Do you have to go?" she whispered, her voice filled with a sadness that almost broke his heart.

So he shook his head. "No," he answered. "No, I'll stay." He sat up, and grabbed his boxers, and pulled them on. It began a process for them as they started to get redressed. But he kept his jacket off, and had her lie down on it. He joined her, and she laid her head on his chest. He quietly twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. They didn't talk again, but just laid there. He didn't know about her, but he laid there in thought.

Part of him felt guilty for what he was doing. He was cheating on his girlfriend. But he had no willpower, and she made it so hard not to run to her. He didn't feel guilty or bad when it came to her boyfriend. He couldn't stand Mike Davies. He'd hated him ever since he'd caught him staring at Lily when they had still been together. But inside he knew that he probably couldn't imagine how Lily herself felt. She was cheating on her boyfriend, with the guy that her cousin's in love with. And a cousin that she saw as a sister.

But another part felt happy that he was here, that he was the only one she shared this part of her with. Her love, and every embodiment of it, emotional and physical. This part just wanted her back, and was tired of hiding. It was tired of not being able to hold her in public, to have to put with seeing Mike Davies touch her, twirl her hair, and receive her family's approval. This part of him wanted to tear Davies apart. But he wouldn't, he couldn't, because he really didn't have that right anymore. In the midst of a big fight that he couldn't remember, he had let that right walk out his door. Now he just waited, desperately, until they decided that it was the best time for that right come back to him permanently.

And when he looked down at her, her eyes were closed, and her lips were parted. She was fast asleep, her fingers curled loosely around his shirt. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of her, and he ignored the part that felt guilty. He sat up a little, still supporting her. He tilted her head up gently. She didn't stir in her sleep at all. He gazed at her for a moment before kissing her lips once before laying them both back down. Swollen and red lips. Lips that never hesitated to tell him that she loved him.

The lips of an angel.


	2. Hate Me

**Author's Note - This one isn't as long, but I've had this one stuck in my head for a while, so I finally wrote it out. It kinda leaves things open, but I didn't wanna get to into the things that aren't important, or things that could make this three chapters long. So, I hope you enjoy it. Also, if you have a recommendation, feel free to tell me. It can be any song and any Harry Potter characters.**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Harry Potter or the song Hate Me.**

Hate Me

Hugo Weasley stood in a graveyard, still holding that note. That note that he'd received at a time that seemed so long ago. He held it gently, as if afraid a single crease would ruin it. He was a masochist, he decided, as he read the words again and again. The words pulled at his heart, bringing a pain few could know. A pain he didn't know until recently.

_Dear Hugo,_

_Hey, sweetheart, how about we get together some time soon. Last time you came over you seemed a little upset about something. I guess I just want to know that you're ok. Just checking that you're feeling alright, and you've been keeping in touch with the others. You know we all love you._

_Love,_

_Your mother._

He had said no in his reply. He had said he was busy and that he couldn't come home. He had lied. Regret pulled and twisted in his stomach along with the guilt. It made him want to vomit. He felt so bloody horrible.

* * *

"So why don't you wanna go see your family? It's almost your dad's birthday, and you know how your grandmother is on birthdays," Kylie asked as she stroked Hugo's hair.

Hugo sighed. "I just don't wanna go. It's too depressing for me."

Kylie rolled her eyes. "Hugo, they love you. Besides, your mum really wants you to go."

He scoffed. "Kylie, I have done practically nothing with my life, while all the others have. I go, and they talk about their great lives, and then I have nothing to say in return. I just don't like going."

"Well, I think you should go. They're your family, and your grandmother has been really big on having everyone together since your grandfather passed a few years ago," she said firmly.

He just shook his head, and continued reading the _Evening Prophet_. She moved over to the fridge. He looked up from the paper at her, and he couldn't help but smile at her. He loved living with her, loved her attitude, and loved her views on everything. She was so different from him, and it was like a breath of fresh air. Her hair was a beautiful brown color, her eyes dark but loving. He was in love with Kylie Krum, and he wanted it that way.

There was a small roar of flames, the sound familiar, from the other room. They both ignored it, but were slightly surprised to see Lily walk in. And it wasn't just that. Her face was scared and terribly upset. Their whole lives, Hugo had never seen her like that.

"Hey, Lily. Is something wrong?" he asked, as he folded up the paper.

Lily took in a silent gulp. "You need to come with me to St. Mungo's. Everyone else is there waiting."

Kylie closed the fridge, and Hugo stood up. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Is everyone ok? What happened?"

Lily closed her eyes and sighed. When she opened them, they looked a little watery. "It's your mum."

* * *

When she had said that, it had felt like his heart had stopped. They'd rushed over there, leaving everything but their stove on. The whole family was there, grandparents, his dad and sister, her husband, the aunts and uncles, the cousins and their new families. He felt like a stranger as he waited in the room with them, waiting for news on his mother. The one he'd rejected a visit to not long before. He'd paced and paced, and glanced at the doors every four seconds. When news came, he didn't know what to do.

* * *

"Are you Mrs. Weasley's family?" a Healer came out asking.

"I'm her husband," Ron had told him. His face showed age and strain, and looked so lost. The man that had been Hugo's hero now looked worn and tearful. He pulled in a gulp. "What happened to her?" he whispered.

The Healer blew out a breath. "Well, during a travel by apparition she was splinched really badly. Now, they got to her, but by then she'd already lost a lot of blood. They brought her here. She got her leg, a part of her chest, her shoulder, and her lower back."

"But how is she!" Ron interrupted.

The Healer sighed, his eyes sad. "We did our absolute best . . . but I'm afraid it was too much on her. We lost her."

Hugo had never run out of a room so fast.

* * *

He had just run. He ran from Kylie, from his family, from the sadness, and from his mother. Because he was still a little boy. Not that man she had said he was, but still a little boy. When Kylie had come back, he had been throwing things out of the freezer and fridge. He'd wanted a drink, something that Kylie had helped him keep away maybe for more than three months. But he'd wanted one. She'd tried to calm him, but he just snapped at her, and stormed out of their flat.

He didn't go to a bar that night. But instead he ended up in an alley, screaming through the rain. Screaming at Kylie, at Merlin, at life, and at his mum.

* * *

He ignored the stinging cold feeling of the rain as he ran down the dark sidewalk. No one was out at this time at night. Not even animals it seemed. He passed dark buildings, lights that worked and lights that didn't. When a muggle car turned onto the street, he turned away from its headlights, and into a deserted alleyway. He stood still, panting heavily. The rain had soaked through his clothes, and it was pounding against his face and skin mercilessly. Soon a rage began to fill him as he stood there, and his fists clenched. He kicked the trash can next to him, rolling it down the alley. He heard something scurrying away in the blackness. He screamed, no words, just a pure, furious, scream.

He grabbed at his hair, harshly yanking at his curly red locks. Finally he put it into words. "WHY? WHY HER? SHE DID EVERYTHING RIGHT! HOW CRUEL CAN LIFE BE? HOW COULD YOU TAKE HER AWAY? WHY DO I HAVE TO BE THIS WAY? MAKE IT GO AWAY!" He raged.

He punched the brick wall, ignoring the blood and pain. A numbness began to consume his body. He kicked another trash can, and punched the wall again. He felt his eyes burn and blur more than they already had been, due to the rain. He gave a wordless scream again, before turning to lean against the wall, and then sinking to the concrete ground. His pants were angry and heavy. They were more like heaves. His eyes burned immensely, and his body was cold and numb, and his face was wet.

"Why did you leave me?"

* * *

He didn't go to the funeral. Kylie had disapproved, but she didn't say much else. Not that he gave her a chance. He'd leave early and come back late. The day of the funeral, he'd left the house before light. He never really went anywhere, or did anything. He just left, and just walked.

He got letters, from his dad, his sister, and everyone else from his family and friends. He ignored them all, and never sent anything back. In fact, he cut off all contact with them. Cut off contact with everyone.

* * *

"What do you mean you're leaving?" Kylie demanded. Her eyes were watering already, and her voice was thick.

Hugo just stared at her blankly. "I mean that I'm leaving. Don't worry, the flat's paid for this month, and the next one too."

"I don't care about that!" she exclaimed. A tear fell. "Look, Hugo, this isn't the way to handle this. Your mum wouldn't want you to be like this."

"Well, we'll never know it that's true!" he said, his voice strained. "Besides, I'm doing it for you. You're better off without me around."

"I love you, you idiot!"

"Don't say that," he said, wincing at her words.

"I do! So tell me, how is going away better for me?" she said, her jaw tight.

"Because then I can't hurt you. All I've done is make things hard, make mistakes. You need a man, and I'm not one. I've never done anything good for you, and yet you've done everything for me. You never doubt me or my thoughts. You always believed in me. You made me like myself. But I haven't done a thing for you," he answered.

"Hugo, don't do this. Not to me," she whispered desperately. Tears were flowing freely.

He took a closer step, and he cupped her cheeks, brushing away a few tears. "I promise you that I am going to go so far away, that it will be impossible for me to cross your mind. And then you can do whatever it takes to for your heart to leave me."

Her hands came up to touch his. "How can you do this to me?"

He hugged her tight, pulling her close. She sobbed into his chest. He squeezed her, and lowered his lips to her ear. "Hate me. Hate me, so that you can see what's good for you." He let her go, and he walked out the door.

He ignored her scream of his name.

* * *

And now here he was, standing in front of stone with his mother's name on it. He didn't know how he got to be here, but just remembered walking. He didn't have a permanent home, but knew that this town would never be home again, and that he would have to leave soon. He didn't want them to see him.

Some days, thoughts of them all came back and haunted him. But he knew that this was what was best. He couldn't hurt anyone this way. They would learn how to go on without him.

With a sigh, he got on one knee, and he brushed away the dead flowers in front of her grave. With one last look at the words on the paper, he set it down, weighing it down with a small stone. He closed his eyes, ignoring the small bit of wetness the fell to his cheeks. He stood up, and without a second glance, he walked away.

They would learn to hate him.


	3. When I'm With You

**Author's Note - I got a suggestion to try to write on a song by Faber Drive, so here it is. I wasn't sure how good it turned out, so I really hope you like it. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Harry Potter or the song When I'm With You**

When I'm with You

James Potter lay on the hotel bed. He sighed, and rubbed his temples. He loved being an Auror, but sometimes it got to be so stressful. But he wanted to be good. He wanted to live up to his dad, the Savior of the wizarding world. He wanted to be a hero too.

He sat up and stripped down to his boxers, just wanting to sleep right now. His mission had been rough, and the day before it was even rougher. He moved so that his head was on the pillow. Before reaching for the lamp, he picked up a small picture next to it. He smiled as he looked at it.

In the picture was a tiny and beautiful girl, with pretty blonde hair and big blue eyes. She was smiling so happily in the picture, waving and winking every so often. And in her arms was a tiny baby girl, with a bit of black hair and eyes just as big and just as blue. The perfect picture of Cassie and Lillian Potter. His wife and daughter.

He sighed as he put the picture down and turned off the lights. He was tired, but he couldn't sleep. He hadn't been sleeping since he left home. They'd gotten into a fight, and he'd left, neither of them saying 'I love you.' And he did love her. He was so happy that she loved him, and that she wanted to be with him. It made him feel like such an ass that his job took him away so much.

* * *

"I just don't see why you have to go! You've been going on missions, coming home, and then leaving again! Your daughter is going to start calling Al 'daddy'!" Cassie argued. Her face was one of anger, but there were tears in her eyes.

"I have to go, Cassie," James said as he put the last piece of clothing his bag. "It's my job."

"Well your job is making your daughter forget about you!" Cassie replied angrily. She softened a bit at the look of hurt on his face. "Look, James, you know you don't have to go. If you told your boss, you know he'd give you a break. Your daughter misses you." She gulped back a few tears. "I miss you."

James sighed, and after zipping up his bag, he turned and hugged her. "I'm sorry, Cassie, but I'm going."

She ripped away from his embrace. "What for!" she demanded, the anger back in her voice and face. "We've been married for two years, and I feel like I've barely seen you! What are you trying to prove?"

"I don't want to be let off just because my boss is my dad!" James replied.

"He would let you off even if you weren't his son! You know that! Your dad's a good man! He understands the importance of family, something I think you're lacking!" she yelled.

"Don't you dare tell me that I don't understand! I love that little girl!" he seethed.

"Well you never really show it!"

A cry sounded from the room next to theirs. They immediately stopped yelling. Cassie pulled in a breath, looking from him, to the door, to the bag on the bed. She shook her head. "Whatever, just go, do what you want. I don't care." She turned and walked out of the room. James just stood there, and listened as eventually, the cries stopped.

He picked up the bag and left the room.

* * *

He'd regretted it soon after. It was the first time he'd left for a mission without telling her that he loved her. He'd felt bad since, and he'd almost botched the mission. The day before, he'd sent her a letter, telling her that the mission went well and that he was ok.

He hadn't gotten a reply back.

He was hurt, at her lack of response, and at what she had accused him of. He loved her and his daughter. Lillian was one of the best things in his life. And he did his best to spend time with her when he was home. He took her places, took her to her cousins' houses to play. He'd even brought her home her first broom once. But being honest, he didn't like bringing her to his siblings' houses. He always got feelings that he didn't like.

* * *

"Knock, knock!" James called as he opened the door to his sister's flat. He had Lillian in his arms, and a bag around his shoulder.

Lily smiled as he came in. "Hey, James!" she hugged him tight. "What brings you two here?"

"Well, I'm home, and I heard you were babysitting Henry and Dora for Teddy and Vic, so I thought I'd bring Lil over to play with them and Kent," James explained, setting the bag down.

Lily smiled. "Well I'm glad to have you, but Kent's with Scorpius right now. But they should be home soon."

James raised a brow as he set Lillian down, who immediately stumbled over to Henry and Dora. "Where are they?"

Lily shrugged. "I don't know. Every Saturday Scorpius makes sure he has the day off, and he and Kent go and have a 'guy day'. Kent loves it," she said these words with a rare smile.

James felt a pang of envy toward his brother-in-law. "That's probably a good thing."

Lily laughed, and bent down to pick a discarded toy up off the floor. "Yeah, Kent loves Saturdays. Absolutely loves spending time with his father. So, I just wait until Sunday. Then he's pretty much all mine," she said with a wink.

James chuckled too. "Seems like you two got a good system worked out. With someone being an Auror that can be hard to do," he casually mentioned. Really he just wanted to hear that it was hard for everyone at first. Lily and Scorpius had been married longer, and Scorpius was an Auror too. He just wanted reassurance.

Lily shrugged. "Yeah, it was kinda tough. I mean, when it was just me and him, it wasn't so bad. But when Kent came it was hard at first. I mean, he'd get home late, or leave early, so it was just me taking care of him. But one night we talked it out, and he was going to take the work load easy to be home more often."

"Was it hard for him to give up part of work easily?" James asked. Both he and his brother-in-law loved their line of work, and James had been surprised when Scorpius told him he was going to lie back and maybe just do a few desk jobs for a while.

Lily smiled that smile again. "If for any other reason, it would have been. But since it was better for his job as a father, no, it wasn't. He knew that being a father came first. He always wanted a kid, and he wants to be here. He knows that being here will be the best part of his life."

"We're back!" both adults looked to see Scorpius coming in through the door with tiny Kent Malfoy in his arms.

"Hey," James greeted with a weak smile.

"Welcome home," Lily said happily. She moved to him and kissed him, and then her son's forehead. "How was your afternoon?"

"Great!" Scorpius said happily, as he mussed his son's hair, making him giggle wildly. "But one of us got hungry."

"So what do you want for lunch?" Lily teased as she took her son.

"Ha, ha," he said sarcastically.

Lily smiled. "Well, Henry and Dora already ate, so I'll just fix him something quick. James," Lily addressed, "has Lil eaten?"

James nodded. "Yeah, about an hour ago."

Lily nodded too, and whispering softly to her son, walked into the kitchen. Scorpius watched them with glowing eyes. James watched them in envy. He missed moments like that between his wife and daughter.

Scorpius gave a sigh as he looked over toward James. "You want a drink or something?"

James shook his head. "Nah., I'm good." He paused as Scorpius moved a few toys on the floor. "So, what did you guys do?"

"Ah, took him out for a fly, went to a muggle park, a lot of things. What are you doing here, by the way?" Scorpius asked.

"Thought I bring Lil over to play with her cousins," James asked. He paused again as Scorpius continued to clean the floor up a bit. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Do you sometimes wish that you still did missions? Do you miss it?" James asked. He sat down on the couch, pushing away a stuffed toy.

Scorpius shrugged. "Sometimes, but I don't really regret it. I might not have been off today if I still did missions." He looked at James and chuckled. "Feeling like an absentee father?"

James shifted uncomfortably. "I just . . . Cassie thinks I work way too much."

James had the feeling that Scorpius knew it wasn't the complete truth, but he must have ignored it. "Well, it's probably hard on her. Some missions can keep an Auror away for days. That means it's just her taking care of Lillian."

"I spend all the time I can with her!" James argued feebly.

"That's different. You're spending time with her, yes. But Cassie is raising her. Feeding her, clothing her, bathing her, putting her to sleep, all of that stuff. All you do is give her a two-hour break or so from it," Scorpius explained. "And I bet she feels a bit neglected too."

James's brows furrowed. "What the hell does that mean?" He felt the hint of a blush playing on his cheeks, because he was sure he knew what Scorpius meant.

Scorpius grinned. "I said that she probably feels a bit neglected too. You did just say that you spend as much time as you can with Lillian. That must take away a lot of the time you have already from her."

"There is nothing wrong with our . . ."

"I didn't say that you two had a bad sex life," Scorpius interrupted. "I'm just saying that girls like to have the whole 'romantic evening' things. Times with just you and her. Cassie's probably missing that."

"Are you trying to tell me that you and Lily have the dumb romantic evening things?" James asked skeptically. He knew his sister, and that was never her type of thing.

Scorpius chuckled. "Not exactly. But we do have nights where it's just me and her. We send Kent to a relative, and we have time for ourselves. Doing whatever she wants to do."

"You don't get an opinion?" James teased.

"No I just let her choose," Scorpius shot back.

James sighed, and shook his head as he looked at his brother-in-law. "Man, you make all other guys look bad. And with the most unromantic girl in the world!" he complained.

Scorpius laughed. "Love's an odd thing."

* * *

James groaned as he reflected back on that talk. It had made sense to him then, and made a lot of sense to him now. But not three days after that, James was given the mission, and then they'd had their fight before he left.

James closed his eyes. Tomorrow, he'd be home. Tomorrow, he'd make everything right. Starting tomorrow, she'd never feel neglected again.

* * *

James paced around the living room of his and Cassie's flat. He had the lights dim, and had a bunch of red candles burning. He had on a red button up shirt, and nice black pants. It was the last time he was having his sister help him with anything like this. But he trusted her. Cassie was one of her best friends, so she knew what she was doing. As he looked around the dim room, the two wine glasses on the table, roses everywhere, he knew Cassie would love it.

The lock to the door clicked, and James stopped moving. And when she walked in, his breath caught. Her blonde hair was down and around her shoulders. Her blue eyes shined in candlelight. Her face was one of surprise, her eyes wide, and lips parted with unformed words. She caught sight of him, and their eyes locked.

James knew he had to say something. "Hey, Cassie. I'm home."

Finally she seemed to get her bearings. But instead of still being mad at him like he thought, she was still just surprised. "James, what is this?"

"Did you get Lily's note?" James asked instead.

"About her keeping Lillian for the night? Yeah . . ." Cassie stopped and looked around. "And that's connected to this?"

He nodded. "Yeah. This is my way of apologizing and more."

"And more?" she asked. She put her bag down on the floor and slipped off her shoes. She closed the door.

James sighed. He walked toward her, and took both her hands in his. "Look, Cassie, I'm sorry that I didn't lay off the big jobs from the start. We've been married for almost two years now, and I've barely been around. And when I am, I spend most of my time with Lil."

"James . . ."

"No, wait," he interrupted. "I spend time with her, but I don't help raise her. So tomorrow, I'm going to start. And right now, I'm going to fulfill the promise I made when we got married."

"Promise?" Cassie whispered.

"I promised that I'd always be with you. So now, I'll make sure to have time for just us. Tonight will be the first." He paused, keeping his eyes locked with her tear-filled ones. "Look, Cassie, we've had our problems, but we've made it this far. I'm proud of that, and I wanna keep it going for the rest of our lives. And I'm sorry I didn't tell you that I love you before I left."

A tear finally escaped her, but she gave a small laugh as she wiped it away. "I didn't say it either."

"I missed you," he continued. "You were all I thought about. All I ever really think about. I almost messed up the job because of it. But I'm back, and I'm going to use every second to tell and show you that I am always going to love you. I get butterflies when we kiss, I miss you when you leave to the store, and whenever I see you, I can't breathe. I . . ."

He didn't finish, because she pulled his head down, and pressed her lips against his.

She pulled back, her lips still brushing his. "I love you, James Sirius Potter," she whispered.

James brushed away the tears on her cheeks, and kissed her again. "And I love you, Cassie Aria Potter. I will always love you."

She giggled, moving to rest her forehead against his chest, wrapping her arms around him. James hugged her tight, resting his cheek on the top of her head. He heard a small sniff before she spoke.

"So this is all for me?"

He smiled. "This night is all about you. Whatever you want."

She pulled back a bit to look at his face. He was delighted at the smile on her face. "Well we wouldn't want to waste a second of the night."

He brushed a bit of her hair back. "I wouldn't dream of it."


	4. Blank White Page

**Author's Note - Ok, this song and couple were suggested to me, so I gave it a try. I had never actually heard the song before this, so I listened to it and then did my best. But this was how it turned out for me, so I do hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Harry Potter or the song Blank White Page.**

Blank White Page

With a bottle on the desk in front of him, Scorpius Malfoy glared at the blank piece of paper in front of him. He'd been sitting there for the better part of an hour, taking drinks from the bottle as he thought about what to write. And with every drink, the rage inside him swelled bigger and bigger. His mind played cruel tricks on him, replaying memories in his head. Memories that just made him take another drink.

He was told that her brother James had introduced them. That's what she told him. What Lily had told him when she came to tell him of her new boyfriend. At first, he didn't put much thought into it. He loved Lily with all his heart, but he would admit that she was a bit flighty. She'd had many boyfriends, and it was the rare one that lasted more than two weeks at the most. So he'd smiled and listened to her tell of how James introduced her to Court McLaggen at a party.

But this was a rare one. Lily had kept him around for a month, and he hadn't run away from her slightly intimidating family. But that was when Scorpius started to hate him. It was when he knew for a fact that he was better than him.

* * *

Scorpius had been a little depressed over the fact that Lily still hadn't dumped McLaggen after a month, so his old house mates were determined to take him out and make him forget all about it. As if that were possible. But he decided to go anyway, and not wanting to stay alone in his flat, he arrived at the bar earlier than the rest. He chose a table and sat down, and waited for the others. But as he scanned the crowd of people, he froze, and then felt an icy rage overcome him.

Across the room sat Court McLaggen, his arm around a young girl and his lips on her neck. A young girl that was not Lily.

Scorpius glared and shot out from his seat. He stormed over there, and when he cast a shadow over them, McLaggen tore his lips away to look at him. When he recognized him, he rolled his eyes.

"Oh, Merlin," he muttered.

"Hello, McLaggen. Mind introducing me?" Scorpius hissed.

"No," McLaggen said shortly.

The girl didn't seem to notice the hatred around her. "I'm Cassidy. It's nice to meet you."

"Scorpius Malfoy," he introduced. "Tell me, Cassidy, are you two on a date?"

She giggled. "Yep. Our third."

Scorpius chuckled too. "And you know what they say happens on the third. I just wanted to ask because this asshole is dating one my best friends, and I wanted to know what to tell her."

McLaggen glared at him, but Cassidy looked hurt as her gazed shifted from Scorpius to him. "You've been dating someone else?"

"For a month," Scorpius supplied.

McLaggen looked at her. "Look, just let me . . ."

"Just bite me!" Cassidy cried. She got up from her seat and practically ran out of the bar. That left the two men.

"Thanks for cock-blocking me, dickhead!" McLaggen growled.

"You're dating Lily, what the fuck do you think you're doing?" Scorpius snarled.

"I gotta get laid sometime!"

"She's your girlfriend!"

"You're just pissy because you can't have her!"

"Fuck off, McLaggen. You won't be able to either once I tell her what I came upon!"

"I'll kick your ass, Malfoy!"

"Not if I kill you in your sleep!" Scorpius snapped. He glared at him once more before storming off, leaving the bar as well. The idea of a night with his friends had completely escaped him.

* * *

Scorpius took another drink from the bottle at the memory. That had been when everything went to hell. Nothing good came after that. He'd kept silent for a week to Lily. She still came over almost every day. And every day she talked and talked about her supposedly wonderful relationship. Scorpius wanted to tell her, but she was always so happy, that he didn't know if he could tell her. He didn't know if he could bring himself to break that happy smile from her face.

But inside he knew that McLaggen was still playing her. He knew that he hadn't stopped with Cassidy. And he felt like Cassidy wasn't the only one. And he couldn't believe that McLaggen could look at her, knowing what he did. How he could bring himself to talk to her father, to show himself to her family. How he could stand knowing that he wasn't clean.

So finally, he decided that he had to say something to her. She deserved to know the truth. He just didn't expect the response he got.

* * *

Scorpius had asked her to come over so that he could talk to her. So he could tell her about her boyfriend's actions. But now that she was here, he didn't know how to say it.

"Scorpius, are you all right?" Lily asked. She sat across from him at his kitchen table. She held a glass of water in her hands.

Scorpius blew out a heavy breath. "Um . . . I really need to tell you something. It's just hard to say. I'm not sure how to."

She smiled cutely at him. "Well, how about you give me a little hint? Maybe I can guess from there," she suggested.

"I doubt that," he muttered. But louder he said, "It's about Court."

Lily nodded. "Hm . . . about Court. Um . . ."

"Don't try to guess," Scorpius stopped her. "Look . . . last week, do you remember that I was going to hang out with the guys?"

"Yeah, and you ended up not going."

"Well, actually, I went to the bar early, so the others weren't there. I left early because I . . . I . . ." he couldn't seem to spit it out.

"You what?" Lily asked patiently.

"I saw Court there with another girl," he blurted out. He looked at her, but her expression seemed frozen, so he continued. "I confronted them, and the girl said that it was their third date. And she was really shocked when I told her that Court already had a girlfriend." Still Lily looked frozen. It was starting to scare him. "Lily, please say something."

"I don't believe you," was the first thing he heard.

Scorpius looked at her. "What?"

Lily's eyes started to tear. "I said that I don't believe you. Court loves me. He wouldn't do that!"

"Why would I make it up?" Scorpius demanded.

"Well you've never really liked him! And Court says that you've wanted me, and that you'd do anything to break us up! Like me being happy wasn't good enough!" Lily yelled.

"He's a lying jackass! Ok, yeah, fine. You know what, I love you, Lily! But if you were happy, then fine! But he's lying and cheating on you! You deserve better! You deserved to know! And if you knew this, then why do you always come over here? Why do you come and gush about him? To kill me? Are you as much of a bitch as he is an ass!"

A tear finally fell. "You're my best friend! That's why I come over you ass!"

"So you knew that I at least liked you, yet you throw how happy you are with someone else in my face? And I'm a bad guy? I'm terrible because I love you? Terrible because I listened, and gave you my full attention? Yet I can't love you? Well, fuck you, Lily!"

* * *

She'd stormed out after his last words, tears pouring down without stopping. At the heartbreaking sight, he though he'd feel guilty about what he'd said. But he didn't. He was just angry, and he was tired. He was tired of being used, tired of hearing how happy she was, and tired of being the bad guy just because he'd been honest with her. She was driving him to the brink of insanity.

So he chugged the last bit of liquid from the bottle before throwing it in the corner. The resounding sounds of it shattering echoed through the room. He didn't bother cleaning it up. He didn't bother to even move.

A knock sounded from his front door. Scorpius didn't feel like talking to anyone. He hadn't since him and Lily's fight three weeks and one day ago. Not that he'd been counting. So he didn't get up to answer it. He didn't yell for them to go away. He just sat there.

But the knocking didn't cease. It was insistent, and it was starting to get on his nerves. So he roughly stood up, his chair toppling to the floor, and stomped out of his room and to the door. It was probably his mother. She'd been worried about him since she heard about the fight, which was a week after it happened.

"For Merlin's sake, what?" he demanded as he swung the door open. He froze at the sight. A soaking wet Lily Potter stood in front of him. Her eyes were rimmed red, her body shivering, and her chest was heaving with sobs.

"What do you want?" Scorpius grumbled.

She bit her lip a moment before whispering. "I'm so sorry."

He almost laughed. Instead, he gave a small scoff. "You're sorry? Really? I'm wondering if I should believe you. I mean, I told you the truth, and you didn't believe me."

"And I'm sorry for that," she softly replied.

"I'm sure you are," he grumbled.

"It was just that I didn't want to believe you," she admitted quickly.

Scorpius didn't say anything, although he knew she was waiting for him to speak. He eyed her. She was shivering and shaking, cold, wet, and crying. He gave a sigh. He couldn't be that cruel. "You're going to get sick. Get in here. I'll get you a towel."

He stepped aside, and she hesitantly stepped inside. He closed the door and then left her there to get a towel. When he came back to his living room, he'd expected her to have stepped farther inside and to have made herself comfortable. But she was still standing close to the door.

"You can take your shoes off. They've got to be uncomfortable," he told her dryly.

She seemed to flinch at his tone, but she did as he said. He handed her the towel. "Thank you," she whispered.

Scorpius nodded, and he went to his fridge. He grabbed a bottle of water, hoping to help himself sober up a bit. He had a feeling he'd need that for this conversation. With a wave of his wand, tea started to make itself.

"You can borrow a set of clothes," he told her. He didn't glance her way, but he heard another small thank you. With the help of magic, he had the tea done before she'd come back into the living room. She had just sat down on the couch when he brought a cup to her.

"You didn't have to," Lily mumbled, but she still took a sip.

"I know."

She flinched again at his tone, but she set the tea down. "Look, Scorpius, I am sorry. And I'm being honest when I say that it wasn't that I thought you lied to me. It was that I didn't want it to be true. I didn't want to believe you this time."

"So you verbally attack me and make up crappy excuses?" he demanded.

Tears began to well up again. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry for what I said, and what I did! And I'm really sorry for what I've been doing to you. I didn't ever mean to hurt you. I didn't mean to use you like I did."

Scorpius groaned. "Stop apologizing!" he snapped. He felt guilt creep into him when he saw her heartbroken face. "Just tell me what happened to bring you over here."

"I found him with some girl. We had a small fight, and I told him I never wanted to see him again, and I stormed out." She paused. "This was the only place I could think to go," she finished.

"Well, I'll take this moment to be childish. I told ya so."

"I'm sorry."

"What did I say about apologizing?"

"Look, I just don't know what to do to fix this. I don't want you to hate me," she replied.

"Oh, please, Lily. I couldn't hate you if I wanted to. I can be mad all I want, but I can't hate you. I've tried, and I've been trying. It's an impossible task," he confided.

Lily gave an almost silent sigh. "So how do I fix this?"

Scorpius stared at her face. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were teary, her bottom lip a little swollen from bitting it, and her frame was still shaking a little. He had to admit that she was still beautiful to him.

But he only shrugged. "I don't know, Lily. I really don't." Lily didn't say anything, but tears started to fall again. "Look, it's late. Why don't you stay here? You can take my bed tonight. I'll sleep out here."

"No, I couldn't make you sleep out here," she protested.

"Lily, just take the damn offer," he groaned. Scorpius left her sitting there as he went to the hall closet to grab a blanket and pillow. She was still sitting there when he came back. "Lily, you're tired. Go to sleep. We'll just talk in the morning," he told her.

"I don't want to make you sleep out here," she repeated.

"Go!" Scorpius demanded.

Lily locked eyes with him, trying to be firm, but she wavered, and finally stood up. "Fine. But if you get uncomfortable . . ."

"Go on, Lily," Scorpius interrupted.

She nodded and walked to the hall. She stopped and turned to look at him. She was biting her lip. "Goodnight, Scorpius. Thank you."

"It's no problem. Have a good sleep, Lily," he muttered. He threw the pillow down on the couch as she left. He picked up her cup and took it to the sink when he heard his bedroom door close. Scorpius busied himself with cleaning up the kitchen, and making sure everything was off before going back to the couch. He didn't lay down. He wasn't sure he could sleep just yet.

Scorpius was honestly baffled by the turn of events. He knew he still loved her, but he knew that they were broken, and he didn't know how to fix it. Didn't know how she could fix it. He couldn't help but feel a bit happy that she wanted to fix it. That she still cared about him. She didn't want him to hate her. But he couldn't, so she was in the clear in that area. For himself, he knew that eventually his anger would disappear. Eventually, he'd start to daydream about her again, and he'd pine for her again. So was there a point in her making some giant effort to make things supposedly better, when they'd probably get better with time anyway?

With a burst of genius inspiration, Scorpius practically jumped up from the couch. He hurried down the hall, and stopped at his door. He pressed his ear against it, but he didn't hear anything, so he quietly opened the door. It was dark, but he could distinguish Lily's shape on the bed. He moved about the room, feeling his way around as he searched for his desk. After five or so minutes of softly fumbling around, he found it. He quickly found the piece of paper from earlier, along with the quill. He quietly made his way back out, and closed the door. He held the paper up the door, and began to write a small and short note. When he finished, he took his wand, and quietly whispered a charm to make it temporarily stick to the door. It was perfect. He knew that she would see it when she opened the door in the morning.

Scorpius made his way back into the living room, and finally was able to settle down on the couch. His eyelids started to fall, and he smiled at the prospect of the next morning. He just hoped that she'd take his words to heart.

_Just be happy._


	5. I'd Lie

**Author's Note - I've had this song stuck in my head for a while now, so I thought I'd use it. So I picked this couple, because it worked the best. I also chose to make it as if they were normal teens, because it seemed to work better when I wrote it. It's not my best, but I think it's still good. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Harry Potter or I'd Lie**

I'd Lie

Hermione woke up from her nap after hearing her cell phone vibrate on the desk next to her, a song by Kesha as a ringtone. Wiping the sleep from her eye with one hand, she picked up the phone with the other. She checked the time quickly to see that it was past seven before she answered the phone. She didn't bother checking who it was.

"Hello?" she muttered into the phone.

"Hey, 'Mione! I'm glad you picked up!"

Hermione sat up quickly, an involuntary smile making its way to her lips. "Ron? Hi, what's up?" Ron Weasley, one of her best friends since middle school, along with Harry Potter, was the boy that she had fallen in love with recently. And since she was his best friend, she knew everything about him. Everything that made him perfect to her.

"Oh, well I was wondering if you could pick me up? The twins took me to the mall, but then they ditched me," Ron grumbled.

Hermione rolled her eyes, but became excited at the idea of just the two of them, even if it was for just a short car ride. "Yeah, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"All right, thanks, Hermione."

"No problem, Ron."

He hung up first, because Hermione could never get herself to hang up on him. She checked herself out in the mirror first. She dressed in jeans and a pretty top, so she decided to fix the small amount of makeup she had on, and made her way out of her room. She grabbed her purse from the kitchen table, along with her car keys.

"Where are you going, sweetheart?" Mark Granger, her father, asked her as she entered the living room.

"Ron needs a ride home, so I'm going to pick him up," Hermione replied, keeping it short. She hadn't told a soul about her feelings for Ron. She pulled on her shoes and jacket.

"Honestly, you two are so cute," her mother, Janet Granger, squealed.

Hermione rolled her eyes. She smiled at her mother. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she lied smoothly.

Hermione opened the door and left the house, telling them that she'd be back soon. She gave a small shiver at the cool breeze that surrounded her as she made her way to her car. It was the beginning of March, and Hermione couldn't wait for it to get warmer again. She got in her car and quickly started it, and turned on the heat. After a quick moment to warm up a bit, Hermione pulled away from her house, and turned a right. She knew where the mall was easy. They all lived in a quaint town, so they'd been everywhere by now. Sadly, there weren't many places for excitement, so the mall was the most popular choice for weekends.

In no time, Hermione was pulling up to the front of the mall. She could already see Ron standing by the front, his red hair shining in her headlights. He was waving at her, as if he thought she couldn't see him. She laughed as she stopped the car. The passenger's door opened, and Ron got in, closing the door after him.

He sighed as he looked at her. A beautiful smile graced his features. "Thanks for coming, Hermione. I really appreciate it. And I'm gunna kill the twins when I get home."

Hermione laughed. "It's no problem. Really." She pulled away from the mall, and left the parking lot.

"Mind if I turn on the stereo?" Ron asked.

"Feel free. I have that Breaking Benjamin cd that you made me in there already. I thought you'd want to listen to it," she told him.

He grinned. "Good thinking. One of my favorite songs is on that cd. I'm glad you're listening to it. Maybe It'll get you to stop listening to Kesha."

Hermione knew that his favorite song was the cd. She knew all of his favorite songs. Some were favorites of her own. She sighed herself as she glanced over at him. He was beautiful, and she loved how he looked sitting in her passenger seat.

"How was your night?" Hermione asked. She drove by their school, Hogwarts High. It was one of her favorite places to be. She and the boys had so many fun times there. After this year, they only had one left.

"It was pretty good, not counting the twins leaving me," Ron said as he adjusted the volume to make the music a background sound. "We went and saw a movie. I thought it really would suck, but it wasn't too bad." He went on with the rest of his day. Hermione couldn't help but look at his eyes. She knew that they were his father's eyes, a pretty blue that seemed to have so many different shades. She loved to count them all. They mesmerized her, so she memorized them, as well Ron himself.

"And you'll never guess what the twins tried to do!" Ron said with a laugh.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"They tried to set me up with some girl. It's why they ditched me!"

Hermione froze, but Ron just continued to laugh. Ron had only had one girlfriend before, Lavender Brown. It had ended a few months ago, since he thought she was too clingy. All they ever did was snog each other. Hermione always felt heartbroken when she'd see them. She almost danced with happiness when she heard of their break up. She was even happier when she heard that it was he who had lost interest.

"Really? Why would they do that?"

"They said I don't date enough. I just don't see the point. I'll never fall in love. It's not for me," he answered, running his hands through his hair.

Hermione laughed with him, hoping he was wrong. "You never know. You might one day."

Ron just waved it off. "It's not in me."

Hermione decided to drop it. Ron loved to argue, loved to be right, so she knew he'd keep insisting he was right. Thankfully he dropped it too, and just cracked a joke to get rid of the odd feeling in the air. She laughed with him and faked a smile.

"I like that shirt you're wearing. It's a nice color on you," he commented with a smile.

Hermione blushed. "Thanks. It's the one you bought me for my birthday." She wore it a lot. Not just because he gave it to her, but because it was also his favorite color. He loved the color green, even if it was the color that represented Draco Malfoy's little gang. He just rarely admitted it to anyone. When others asked, he usually told them it was gold.

"Well speaking of birthdays, what are you getting me?" he teased.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Your birthday isn't for another month and a half. I still have time." Of course she knew when his birthday was. The seventeenth of April. One of her favorite days.

"I'm just checking," he surrendered.

"I wouldn't tell you anyway. It would ruin the surprise," she told him.

Hermione almost groaned in disappointment when she turned onto his street. She pulled up in front of his house, putting the car in park. Most of the lights were on, including what she knew was the kitchen window. It was most likely Mrs. Weasley cooking some kind of sweet. Many times, she sent Hermione home with something to give to her parents.

She opened her mouth to say something, but he beat her to it. "You wanna come in? It's not too late," Ron asked.

Hermione closed her mouth and smiled. "Yeah, sure." She turned the engine off as he got out. Before she could move, he had come to her side and opened her door. She blushed again. "Thanks."

"No problem. After all, you did pick me up," he told her. They walked up the small sidewalk path to the door. He opened it, and let her in first, closing it behind them.

"I'm home! Hermione brought me back!" Ron yelled. He looked at Hermione. "Come on. Let's go upstairs."

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, sure."

Ron led her up the stairs to the next floor. As they walked down the hall, a door opened, and Ginny stepped out of her room.

"Oh, hello, you two," she greeted with a smile. Ginny was his little sister, only a year younger. She was just as beautiful as her brother was. Hermione was always a little envious.

"Hey, are the twins home?" Ron asked. Hermione almost giggled at his scowl.

"Not that I know of," Ginny told them as she walked away.

Ron shook his head and grumbled something as they both continued to his room. He opened the door, flipped on the light, and they both stepped in. He closed it, and locked it. He had too many siblings (six) that loved to randomly barge in.

He just stood there, so Hermione sat at his old desk chair. He got a lot of hand-me-downs. Hermione could have sworn that he got the desk and chair from Charlie before he left to college years ago.

"So, have you finished that Chemistry paper?" Hermione asked, filling their silence.

Ron groaned as he went to his closet. "No. I hate Snape. He's bloody impossible. As bad as Malfoy. They're all alike!"

Hermione laughed at his tone. Everything was black and white to him. He always lumped Draco to Snape just because Draco's father was friends with Snape. That and because Draco was his favorite student. Not that Snape liked any of them either. But she gave Ron credit. He always did his best to never show others how bad Snape could get to him.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked. He was digging around in his closet.

"Grabbing this." He pulled his body out of the closet, bringing out his guitar as well. It was his big secret that he could play, and only they knew. The fact that he'd told only her made her heart swell. He didn't even tell Harry, his best mate.

He moved to sit on the bed, and strummed a few strings. "Did you finish that paper?"

"This afternoon. It's due tomorrow. What are you going to do?" Hermione asked.

"I've got lunch. I'll do it then," he said with a shrug.

Hermione doubted that. Ron always thought lunch was sacred, and never did homework during that time. He'd most likely as Harry to help him before classes started.

"I'll help you, if you want?" she suggested.

He smiled at her. "Thanks. Sounds good. We'll do it tomorrow."

She nodded. "That's fine with me."

"You'll probably have to help Harry as well," Ron pointed out.

Hermione rolled her eyes. She knew that. Both boys were hopeless. "Yeah, I figured."

He laughed. "There's worse."

"Like?"

"Malfoy," he said automatically.

"Good point," Hermione agreed, and this time they both laughed.

Suddenly Ron's phone went off in his pocket. He set down his guitar and answered it.

"Hey, Harry! What's up?" Ron asked brightly.

Hermione bit her lip. She was liking it being just the two of them, and a part of her hoped that Harry was wanting to join them.

"I'm sitting in my room with Hermione. Did you need something?" Ron asked. "It's up to you . . . I can talk a few minutes . . . if you're sure. What? Oh! I'll ask." Ron pulled his phone from his ear. "Hey, 'Mione, Harry's wondering if you could give him a ride to school tomorrow?"

I smiled halfheartedly. "Yeah, no problem."

Ron returned to the call. "Yeah, she can. Yeah . . . well, all right. I'll just see you tomorrow then . . . Yeah, bye." He hung up the phone, and threw it onto his pillow.

"What did Harry want?" Hermione asked.

Ron shrugged. "Nothing really. He was just bored, thought he'd call and see if I could hang out."

"I bit late isn't it?" Hermione laughed.

"Ah, we've been out later. Not that we ever let adults know," Ron confided. They could then hear the house phone ring downstairs.

"And now he's probably calling Gin," Ron muttered.

Hermione smiled. Harry had the biggest crush on Ginny, and it always made her smile. Ron knew, but never knew how to handle it. Although, he'd told Hermione that he'd rather Ginny date Harry than some bloke he didn't know.

"More than likely," Hermione agreed. They soon heard Mrs. Weasley yelling to Ginny that Harry was on the phone.

"Right as always," Ron mumbled. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You know you can trust Harry," she pointed out.

He shrugged as he nodded. "I guess you're right. I just don't like it."

Ron started to play a song, one that Hermione didn't recognize. But she thought it was very good. He was a very good player, and she never understood why he didn't tell people he could play. She stared at him as he played. He was so perfect to her. Beautiful in every way. Hermione just wished that she could tell him how she felt.

"What's up?" he asked.

Hermione jumped slightly, startled by his sudden words. "What?"

"You look very thoughtful. What are you thinking about?" he asked again. There was genuine concern in his voice.

Hermione almost shook. He always knew when she was upset. Hermione could have sworn that he saw through everything. Everything but her own feelings toward him.

She just smiled at him, trying to ignore how fake it felt to her. "It's nothing. Nothing at all," she lied.


	6. Self Conclusion

**Author's Note - This song was another suggestion, and after listening to it, I thought that Draco would be the best one to use, so of course I had to also use Astoria. Now, I wasn't sure how many flashbacks I should put, so I only did one. And I do apologize that it's a bit shorter. I'm still hesitant about it, but I do hope that you like it. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Harry Potter or the song Self Conclusion.**

Self Conclusion

The death of the Dark Lord had promised good years ahead for everyone involved. That had turned out to be a lie. At least it was for Draco Malfoy.

Now don't misjudge him. Draco was happy that the war was over, that Voldemort was dead, and that his family had avoided Azkaban and death, although narrowly. But sometimes, he wondered what he would rather have. Death, Azkaban, or his recent life. Because his life seemed just as bad lately. Social pariah didn't exactly cover what he was now. Nobody ever wanted anything to do with him, and the only reason he had a job was because of the new minister not allowing any discrimination against reformed death eaters.

But his job was still terrible. He was a desk boy for the Improper Use of Magic Office. All he did for almost nine hours was sit at a desk, read different reports, deliver messages to more important office members, and file things. It was boring, and held no interest to Draco.

Even old Slytherin friends rarely spoke to him. Some that weren't as prominent supporters of Voldemort didn't want to be associated as such. And the ones whose fathers had been death eaters hated him since he had escaped death and Azkaban, unlike their fathers.

His parents were still a little shaken up, but Draco's father had quickly gone back to the cold man he had been before. His mother was always checking on him, making sure he was ok. After all Draco had been through, she was deathly afraid something would happen. The only thing that had happened to Draco was that he soon became depressed after it all happened.

By the time September came around after the end of the war, Hogwarts was ready to be a safe school again. People had been spending months fixing it, and it was now ready again. All of the seventh years from the pervious year were invited to take the year again, so that they could get the proper education.

Draco himself had decided not to go back. The two weeks he had stayed at the castle to help had not been pleasant. Horrific actually. All he'd received from the others his age were glares and mistrustful glances. Some even refused his help. Draco knew it would be no different if he went back to school.

Instead, his father had gotten him an interview with the head of the Improper Use of Magic Office. The interview went as well as it could have, and he at least got a job. Sure, the job was crummy, but at least Draco had excepted that it could have been worse.

"Have you got everything filed, Malfoy?" Marshal Smith demanded. He was an older and haughty man, and one that Draco disliked being around. It reminded him of how he used to be. Draco vaguely remembered going to school with his son. His named started with a Z or something close to the end of the alphabet.

"Yes, Mr. Smith. Did you need one of the files?" Draco asked. He hated having to be so bloody polite to a man he couldn't stand, but it was the only way to get him to disappear quickly.

"No, I'm just checking on you," Smith replied.

That was another thing Draco hated. It seemed that everyone (mostly Smith) felt the need to check on him. To make sure he wasn't doing something dark and deadly. It grated on Draco's nerves being checked on.

"Well there's no need," Draco told him, "I've got everything under control." He knew that his assurance wouldn't stop the check ups, but he knew that Smith would leave.

"If you're sure," Smith said, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. But he still turned around and left Draco's desk.

Draco sighed in relief. He hated this job. He hated this life too.

Three years after the war, at twenty-one years old, Draco Malfoy had no point in life. He sat up on a cliff, his feet hanging on the edge as he sat, staring out at the scene below him. He often came out to this point to sit and think. Thinking never helped, it just made his depression worse. Lately, he'd been flirting with an idea that would take away his depression, but he hadn't yet put it into action.

"Draco Malfoy?"

Draco turned his head to see who had come up behind him. It was a beautiful young girl, yet not much younger than he was. Her hair was blowing around in the wind, the fading sun shining on the blonde colored tresses. She was very beautiful, so much in fact that she took Draco's breath away. But it wasn't just her face and her body, but also her eyes. The full emotion that were behind those pretty blue eyes. The despair and hurt hidden in them.

"Astoria Greengrass," Draco murmured. He recognized her as Daphne Greengrass's little sister. She had been a year below him, so he had never really paid attention to her. Not that she ever approached him either.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded. Draco was a little surprised at her anger, not that he showed it.

"Just sitting here. You?" Draco asked.

"I've got something to do here," she said, avoiding his eyes.

"What? Going to jump?" Draco asked, his voice dry. He knew he was right when her eyes snapped to his. Now he understood the emotion in her eyes.

But instead of ashamed, she was defiant. "It's none of your business! I had plans to die tonight. So what? Now just leave ok! You're in my way! You're in the way of everything all the time!"

"Astoria," Draco started.

She interrupted him. "What? Let me guess. You're going to tell me that it's not right. That I shouldn't kill myself." Her tone was snide and angry. That along with her words almost made him smile.

Draco stood up. "Excuse me, but do you have any idea of what you just said? And who you just said it too? Ever since the war ended, I've had many reasons to do the same thing. Yet I haven't yet."

Astoria scoffed. "What do I care? You know nothing about what's happened to me."

"Then tell me," Draco replied.

She just stared at Draco for a long time. He was patient, and waited for her to talk.

"The one man that I loved . . . he's in love with my sister," she whispered.

"That's no reason to end your life."

"Then you've never even been close to feeling love," she said condescendingly.

"But I know it's no reason to throw your life away. People think about ending their life for a lot of reasons. The trick is to not do it, no matter how bad your life gets," Draco told her.

Astoria gave him a dry laugh. "You make it sound so easy to stay alive. But it's not like I can just go back into the idea of loving life when everything in myself is dead. I can't go back to living in the same house where everything in me died!"

This time, Draco laughed. This girl. She was so captivating. She seemed to be just as depressed, just as understanding of how it felt. Draco wanted to be around her, he wanted to know her. Everything about her.

"Trust me, Astoria. I know how much your legs are wanting to jump. How much you think it will solve everything. But I'll give you an easy choice. Instead of dying, how about living with me?" It was a snap decision, but Draco hoped more than anything that she would accept.

Her eyes widened. "Are you crazy? You don't even know me!"

He shrugged. "I know that. But I'd like to change that. I'd like to know all about you. And I'd be lying if I said that things won't still be a little rough. And maybe all this cliche stuff won't be enough in the end. All I can do is stand here and try to convince you to reconsider, but I know that it wouldn't matter. All that matters is what you think. So I'll leave my offer, and all you have to do is choose."

Silence settled upon them as they stared at each other across the space between them. Draco finally noticed that darkness had practically set upon the scene. He did as he said, and waited, leaving the option open. But he prayed, harder than he ever had before, that she would take his offer. Draco was tired of feeling alone in his feelings, and now he had met someone that felt the same. Someone who knew the pain of a dark depression, even if it was for a different reason. Someone that would talk to him.

Finally she whispered, "All right. You win. But I'm only giving you one night to prove yourself. To be better than my thoughts of death. And know, that I swear to Merlin, you hurt me . . . I'll jump from this exact cliff. You won't even have time to stop me."

Draco smiled, truly smiled. Something he hadn't done since long before the war. He happily closed the space between them, and hesitantly grabbed her hand. Astoria's eyes were guarded, but she let him hold it.

"Don't worry, beautiful. I know what you're going through. Because ten minutes before you came here, I was going to jump too."

Her eyes widened again, and tears started to well up. But instead of cry, like Draco had expected, she reached up and touched his cheek. Then she leaned up and kissed him.

He'd never flirt with the idea of self conclusion again.


	7. Belle of the Boulevard

**Author's Note - Ok, so this is one of my favorite songs, so I decided to go ahead and write a story about it, I chose Lily and Scorpius because I figured they'd be the easiest to base it off of. This one was a bit harder, but I think it turned out ok. Let me know what you think.**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Harry Potter.**

Life is Like a Song

Belle of the Boulevard

The summer had grown increasingly hot as the days continued to pass. To escape from the heat and his mundane everyday life, Scorpius Malfoy spent his days in a local bar. The bar wasn't much cooler, but it was better than standing out in the direct heat. And to Scorpius, watching and listening to the other patrons, the man with his guitar, and bartender proved to be a bit entertaining. His own life was boring. He was an Auror, but they were at a moment of peace in their country, and all his missions and such were small and unnecessary. This was how he kept himself entertained.

The bell above the door rang, signaling that another person had entered. Scorpius had been sitting at the bar, and so he turned to see who it was. And to his surprise, it was someone that he vaguely recognized. It was Lily Potter. He'd never personally talked to her, but he had of course known who she was. Who didn't. Scorpius was two years her senior, which would have made her twenty-three now. But now he wondered, what she was doing here? In a muggle bar?

"Well, well, well! It's the belle of the boulevard!" the bartender greeted with a smile.

Lily gave a small smile too, and sat down at the bar, two stools away from Scorpius. "Hello, Oscar."

"Glad you're back. It's great to see ya!" the bartender continued.

Her smile seemed a bit strained. "Yeah, it's good to be back."

"Well, it's been more than six months, that's too long," Oscar told her.

Scorpius didn't fully stare at them, but he'd glance at her from the corner of his eye, and he kept his ears open, and listened to the banter between the two. But all he could gain that was interesting was that she had gone away for six months, and had been doing a bit of research. She didn't say on what, and she didn't say why it took her that long. Scorpius wanted to know, and he was going to find out. Lily Potter had intrigued him.

As the night went on, the bartender had left to tend to other patrons. Lily had just sat silently, not trying to talk to any others. She didn't even pay attention to him, and since he was also a wizard, he thought she'd have at least taken notice. But she just sat there, drinking a beer. Scorpius had been keeping count. It was her second one, and she was taking moderate drinks from the bottles. A man sat on the stool next to her, and quickly engaged her in a conversation. Scorpius could tell he was just wanting sex, he could tell by his face and mannerism. Scorpius was sure that Lily knew too, but when the man put his hand on her leg, she let him.

But she had left alone that night. Scorpius left the same soon after.

* * *

Scorpius made sure that he went back to that bar everyday. After a week, he noticed that she showed up everyday as well, and came at four, and left at ten-thirty. She had no more than three beers. If she had three before ten-thirty, she would just sit there, maybe twirl the bottle cap from a beer. Sometimes, she would softly sing an unrecognizable song.

And in this time, Scorpius noticed that she was increasingly beautiful. Long, red hair and chocolate colored eyes. She seemed the perfect height, and the perfect body. Her skin looked to be soft, and was fair in color. She was mysterious, erotic even.

And that she was quite rich, or at least close to it. She had two rings that Scorpius could recognize as silver. Her thin jacket that she usually wore had to be silk. Scorpius knew that it had to be her money. She didn't seem like the type to just mooch off her parents.

One day, Scorpius had arrived early, and casually asked the bartender about her.

"Oh, Lily? A sweet girl! She started coming around here after her twenty-first birthday, this was where she celebrated it actually. Then she kept coming back, and we gave her the nickname," Oscar the bartender told him.

"So, what this I hear about her being gone for a few months?" Scorpius had asked innocently.

Oscar's face sobered a bit. "Yeah, she went off for six months. There was a bit of a personal incident."

Scorpius had politely found a way to divert the subject. He didn't want to be simply told what happened. He wanted to hear it from her. And now was the day.

Scorpius had been watching her for a few hours. It was almost eight o'clock now, so he made his move. She was on her second beer, and still she showed no signs of being tipsy or anything. He sat on the stool next to her, and she didn't even glance at him.

"Lily Potter," he said simply.

Finally, she looked at him. "Scorpius Malfoy," she said back.

Scorpius gave a chuckle at her tone. "It's nice to talk to you."

"You've been keeping an eye on me." Scorpius smiled. She was getting straight to the point. And she had noticed.

"You're quite interesting," he remarked.

"And now you're approaching me because you want to know something. Something no one around here will tell you."

"No, because I wanted to hear it from you," he corrected.

"Well?" She looked at him expectantly.

Scorpius didn't want to get straight to it. He wanted to take his time. "You seem very discontent, yet you never seem lost here."

"Maybe that's because I'm not the happiest. Maybe I'm drinking away my sorrows," she said cheekily.

"And I've noticed," Scorpius continued, "that whenever that man over there starts to play his guitar, you always glance at him briefly, and sing a song quietly. Almost like it keeps you together."

Lily raised a brow at him. "You're quite observant."

"I'm an Auror. It's my job to be observant," he quipped.

An odd smile pulled across her lips. "An Auror. Interesting. So, anything else? You gonna ask what you've been wanting to know?"

Scorpius gave a sigh. "Well, I know it breaks your usual schedule, but how about we move somewhere else?"

Lily scoffed. "Why should I do that? Maybe you're just like most of the other men here. Maybe all you want is to add my panties to your trophy collection."

Scorpius leaned in closer to her, a grin on his face at her small blush. "Because you've been keeping an eye on me. In retaliation, I know. But you know that's not what I want."

She started to let off a slight shiver, but shook it off before it could go through the rest of her body. Looking away from him, she took a deep drink from her beer, and slammed the now empty bottle onto the bar. "Alright. Let's go then," she said, her courage back.

Scorpius grinned, and stood from the stool. Normally, he would have held out his hand, but he knew that she would reject such an offer. She paid for her own tab, and Scorpius paid for his. He didn't hold out his arm, but instead just led the way, leaving the smokey, yet cool bar. Because upon entering the outside, the muggy night air stilled around them, almost suffocating. Scorpius was quick to lead her to a secluded alley, and held out his hand. As he thought, she didn't take it.

"We have to Apparate to where I'm thinking," he told her simply.

Her guarded look dropped back to it's normal high level, and she took his hand. He gave her credit. She barely knew him, but she wasn't shaking. Not the slightest tremble.

Scorpius Apparated them to the outside of his flat. The hallway was luckily deserted. Most of the people that lived in the building were young, so most were probably out partying. He pulled out his key, and opened the door. He flicked on the light, and stepped aside for her to walk in.

"Your flat?" she said, her voice mocking. "Perhaps I was wrong about you not wanting my panties."

Scorpius grinned again. "No, you were right. Sit down, please."

"I don't want a drink," she said, before Scorpius could even get the question out. Lily grinned at him as she sat on his couch. "Why don't we just move along with this?"

Scorpius shrugged. "If you insist." He sat down next to her, and for a moment, he just studied her.

"What's your question?" she said calmly.

"Why were you gone for six months?" he asked smoothly.

She raised a brow. "That's all?" Then she gave a chuckled. "Well, if you must know, I was doing research."

He nodded in understanding. "Ok, now tell the truth."

Lily looked at him sharply. "I just did."

"Bullshit. I'm not an idiot. I'm an expert at what I do," Scorpius retorted.

She gave him a steel gaze, her teeth clenched. But then she suddenly relaxed. "Actually that was the truth. It's just not the research that most do."

"How so?"

"It was about myself." At Scorpius's expecting look, she continued. "I went on a trip to get away from everything and everyone. I just wanted to figure a few things out about me."

"What would prompt you to do that?" Scorpius asked.

She didn't say anything, but for the first time since Scorpius saw her, she looked demure and timid. Her eyes were downcast, and her mouth was firmly shut.

"Lily?" he prompted carefully.

She suddenly was up and off the couch. "I've answered your question, I'm gunna go."

Lily swiftly made her way to the door, but Scorpius was faster, and had her arm in a tight, but not painful grip.

"I'm not letting you run away," he said firmly.

"Let me go!" she snapped.

"Answer me!"

"Why should I?"

At her angry face Scorpius almost believed that it was only anger she felt. But one look at her eyes, at the pain and desperate gleam, he held on fast.

"Because you want to tell someone," he whispered. "You wish that you could tell someone, but you have no trust in you." He paused, but gathered his courage. "And I wanna help. I care about you, even if you think that's hard to believe."

Lily stared into his eyes, and gave a sigh. "You know, I used to have someone that I could tell anything to. Someone who would listen, no matter what it was."

"A boyfriend?" Scorpius asked.

She shook her head. "No, I had a brother. Teddy."

Suddenly, an article from a past paper floated into his head, and the hysterical tears of his grandmother. The funeral of a fellow Auror. The death of Teddy Lupin.

"Oh," was his brilliant response.

She gave a humorless laugh. "Yeah. Surprise."

Scorpius let go of her arm, but she didn't run off. Instead, she moved around him, and went back to the couch.

"He was almost everything to me. The best man I knew. He was the big brother girls dream of. I could tell him anything, and he would never tell a soul, not even his wife. I did have a boyfriend, and if we had a fight, I could run to Teddy, and he'd let me vent. He was always like that, no matter how old we got. He chased off my fears, took care of my problems, and helped pick me up," Lily murmured.

Scorpius hadn't known Teddy Lupin all too well, despite the fact that they were technically family. But from what he did know, he loved his sister. He remembered seeing a picture on Teddy's desk of all the Potter children, and two other pictures of two women. One of his wife, Victoire Weasley, and one of Lily Potter. He moved to sit down next to her.

She continued. "When he . . . died, I didn't know what to do. I just couldn't believe it. After my parents tried to tell me, I freaked and yelled at them. I ran out of the house, and I went everywhere I could. Every place I thought he would be. But he was gone, and it was almost as if everything in those places were dead. I lost my mind for four days, and then I ran off. I left the complete continent, leaving a crappy note, and before Teddy's funeral."

"Did running help?" Scorpius whispered.

She shook her head. "No. Not at first. I didn't really regain my sanity until a month and a half after I ran. Then it took months to accept it. But after awhile, I started to try and figure out how I was going to live. To live without my crutch. Then I realized that I shouldn't have needed one at all, and that I now had to get on. So, I took time to figure out what I wanted outta life.

"So I broke up with my boyfriend, that was my first action when coming back. I did it face to face. Then I faced my family, and then Victoire. But that was hard to handle, so I rarely see them anymore," she finished.

Scorpius reached over, and brushed her hair away from her face. It was as soft as he'd imagined. "And how are you doing now?"

Lily brought in a shaking gulp. "Almost relieved, yet like I'm starting to break," she said with a laugh.

"Why those feelings?"

She looked at him, and her eyes were shining with tears, but there really was a look of relief in her eyes. Along with a look of . . . longing maybe?

"Because I finally told someone this, but not just anyone. I told someone who reminds me so much of him,"she whispered.

Scorpius felt a bit of pride, pride at being compared to Teddy in this woman's eyes. But he also felt an incredible urge to do something. That feeling grew when her tears finally fell.

Hey, hey," he murmured, his arm going around her in a comforting manner. "Don't cry, don't cry." She started to pull away, not wanting to show how she was breaking. But he didn't let her. "Hey, don't turn away. Here, just dry your eyes." Scorpius reached out, and wiped away a tear. "Don't be afraid. I'm here, you don't have to keep everything inside. You can let it out. I'm here if you do fall apart."

"You barely know me," she reasoned through her tears.

"I feel like I've known you forever," he mumbled softly. "And you don't always have to be strong. Everyone deserves one time to fall apart. And I'll be here to help as you do."

Finally, she seemed to crumble, and her arms went around him, her face buried into his shoulder. "I miss him," she cried, her body shaking.

Scorpius wrapped his arms around her tighter. He was going to do his best to put her back together. He didn't care that this was the first time he had ever talk to her, he didn't care that he hadn't known her that long. He just knew how he felt and what he wanted, and at this time, he wanted to help her.

"It's so hard," she whimpered.

"It's life," Scorpius replied gently. "Life is always hard."

* * *

The light from the window was what awoke Scorpius Malfoy in the morning. He looked down to see that the bed was empty besides him, and colder too. But he could hear the shower in the bathroom, so he let his worry dissolve. He stood up, and grabbed the boxers that had been discarded the night before. He slipped them on, and approached the window. Outside, the sun was shining on the snow, sending glistening light everywhere. A few muggles were outside, bundled up, shoveling snow, but only a few. Scorpius guessed the rest were all inside, celebrating Christmas.

"What are you looking at?"

Scorpius whirled around, a bit startled. Being an Auror could do that to you. Lily was standing by the bathroom door, a towel around her body, her hair still damp. Scorpius bit back the fierce want to rip that towel away.

"What?" he asked, not remembering the question.

"I said what are you looking at?" she asked again with a laugh.

Scorpius gave a chuckle too. "Oh, nothing. Just seeing if the world was still out there," he joked.

Lily rolled her eyes, and started to get out her clothes for the day.

"Why didn't you wake me? I could of joined you," Scorpius asked with a smile, his eyes not leaving her.

She rolled her eyes again. "Because, I wanted to actually take a shower. Besides, we have to get to my grandparents' house soon. It is Christmas," she replied.

Scorpius nodded. "Point taken." He moved over behind her, and kissed the top of her head. "I'm gunna take a quick shower then."

It had been four years since Scorpius had helped Lily when she fell apart. After that, Scorpius had refused to let her go, and Lily had refused to be let go. They started dating officially only two days afterwards. They married only a few months later. Her family had been hesitant about the whole arrangement, but had accepted him when Lily said that she was never going to drop him. His life had never been better.

When Scorpius was out of the shower and dressed, he was immediately attacked by a little boy.

"Daddy, Mommy says we can go soon!"

Scorpius smiled down at the tiny boy. Small little Theodore Malcolm Malfoy was three years old, only by a week. He had Scorpius's own platinum hair, but had the warm brown eyes of his mother.

"Did she really. Well, let's see if we can leave earlier than that."

Scorpius picked up his son, and walked to the living room, where Lily was pulling out a few coats.

"What are you doing?" Scorpius asked.

"Getting coats. I know that you two wanna leave now," Lily said with a knowing smile.

"Yay!" Theodore cried, automatically squirming to get down. Scorpius let him down, and he quickly ran to his shoes, and began to slip them on. Scorpius went over to tie them.

"So the presents are all at the Burrow?" Scorpius asked.

"Dropped them off two days ago," Lily told him.

"I can't wait to see what I got!" Theodore cried happily.

Lily slipped his coat on, and he zipped it up, and put on his hat. "I'm sure Santa brought you something great."

When they had Apparated just outside the Burrow, they hurried to the house, happy to be in the warmth of the house. They were greeted cheerfully, and Theodore had been in Ginny's arms since he had run to her. Scorpius quickly greeted his boss and father-in-law, Harry Potter, who offered him a drink. And now, Scorpius never had to worry when the boy with blue hair came up to Lily. But he always did watch.

"Hey, Aunt Lily." Remus Bill Lupin was the one son of Teddy Lupin. The exact replica of him it seemed. He was now thirteen years old, with blue hair and purple eyes. He was tall, reaching Lily's shoulders.

But Lily just smiled. "Hello, Remus." She gave him a tight hug. "Where's your sister?"

"Dora's over by the tree, wondering what kind of clothes she got," he replied. "I'll never understand ten-year-olds. I mean, who wants clothes for Christmas?" Lily just laughed brightly.

"Ok, ok, everyone's here!" Molly Weasley cheered. "Let's all gather around the tree!"

As everyone, especially the kids, hurried to the tree, Scorpius moved and wrapped his arm around his wife. "How are you doing?" he whispered in her ear.

Lily smiled at him. "I'm alright, promise. In fact, this year is even better than the last. It's not hard after all."

"So, Lily, when am I gonna get another grandchild?" Ginny asked.

Lily's face fell, and Scorpius laughed.

"Life is always hard for the belle of the boulevard," Scorpius pointed out.

Lily only smiled.


End file.
